I have never had this problem before. I have edited down 47 minutes of video to 25 minutes. For some reason I cannot put it into Encore (error msg "failed while loading defalut preset". I have exprorted using the Movie option which produced a 5.67 GB file (too large for DVD). Have I captured the material under an inappropriate preset (DV NTSC)? Would it be possible to re-capture and reedit the material under another preset UGH! ?

You have one problem, and then a misunderstanding of what Encore will do with your file.

First, did you use Adobe Dynamic Link (DL) to Import your Sequence into Encore? Is that where you got your error message? That is where the problem lies and more details and research will probably be necessary to sort that out.

Now, let's get you Project onto a DVD-Video. I assume that when you chose Export>Movie, you chose DV-AVI Type II for the file format. That is fine. Import that file into Encore as a Timeline. Create your Menus, Playlists, etc., and establish your navigation. Check Project for navigational errors.

When you go to Build/Burn to DVD, Encore will compress your file to MPEG-2, the format of DVD-Video. About all that will determine what will fit and the quality, will be the Duration. You should get very good quality, considering your Duration. Just leave Encore's Transcoding on Automatic. It's really very good. Encore will Transcode that DV-AVI Type II and compress it down. Your resulting MPEG-2, that you will not even see, will be wrapped in a series of .VOB files (along with Menus, etc.) and will be placed into a VIDEO_TS folder, that will be burned to a blank disc.

Tips: for best results, use high quality media, like Verbatim, or Taiyo Yuden. Burn at the slowest burn speed.

Now, please give complete details about your error message, so we can start working on that.

Oh valued helpers...you have overestimated the depth of my ignorance in the use of this suite! In the past I went to Encore from the Export>Encore tab. When I do athis now I get the message "Failed during loading the default preset". Prevented from going to Encore I chose Export>Movie. I was not offered a choice of format. The program compiled my file to an .avi file and placed it in a temp burn folder. When I have attempted to burn this to DVD the program points out that it is too large. Now here is where my ignorance comes into play. How do I get athe project (.prproj ?) into Encore?

you have overestimated the depth of my ignorance in the use of this suite!

I think you mean underestimated.

The proper solution with software at this level is to either become a professional so you know what you're doing, or hire one who already knows what he's doing. There are plenty of consumer apps out there for those who choose otherwise.

you have overestimated the depth of my ignorance in the use of this suite!

OK, so that there is not another misunderstanding on my part, here is what I hear that you are experiencing:

1.) Encore will not launch for you. Is that correct? That is an issue, as you will need some authoring (the process of setting up, Transcoding and burning your Exported file to DVD-Video) program to create a DVD-Video. Can you launch Encore alone, and not called from PrPro? If not, I would do a Repair Install of Encore to see if you can correct that problem. Otherwise, what other authoring program do you have available?

2.) You have Exported using Export>Movie, but got no settings dialog screen. Is that correct? You just Exported some file, in some format/CODEC, but do not know what the settings were, because you never saw them. Is that correct? Use G-Spot to tell you all of the details about that file that you Exported. Pay particular attention to the file's format and its CODEC. That info will be important next.

3.) You want to burn a DVD-Video to play on a set-top player, or in a computer with a DVD drive and DVD software player. Is that correct? The file that you have will not fit onto a DVD-5, in its present, but unknown form. Is that correct? How were you trying to get this file onto the DVD disc? What program was used?

I have a feeling that there is a misunderstanding of some of the terms, and maybe also what it is, that you wish to accomplish - on my part at least.

I do not mean to be condescending, in any way, but I'll outline some steps in getting AV material onto a DVD-Video, just so that we are on the same page:

1.) In PrPro (the editing program in the suite), you edit your AV material, as desired. From CS3, there are basically two ways to go from here.

a.) Export to Encore for authoring (not working for you)

b.) Export to a file format/CODEC that Encore can use, then launch Encore independently and Import that file (have you tried this?)

2.) In Encore (the authoring program in the suite) you use the Exported file(s) from PrPro, and create the necessary navigation (Menus)

3.) In Encore, you then Transcode (compresses that Imported file to MPEG-2 format/CODEC) the AV material and then Burn to disc, in the proper format.

Note: the file that you Exported is probably not MPEG-2, and hence, is too large to just copy to a DVD disc. Since more has to be done, than just copy even a DVD-compliant MPEG-2 file to disc, to create a DVD-Video, this is not a bad thing, as there is still that "authoring" step that must be done. Normally, it would be done in Encore (if you can run it), but could be done in other programs, that author to DVD-Video. This might be the only choice, if we cannot get Encore to run for you.

Now, if you knew all of that, please forgive me. I'm just trying to find out where you are now, and get info on where you wish to go. That is the reason for all of the questions. If there is anything that you do not understand about the above, please just ask. I want us both on the same "page."

As for the Adobe Dynamic Link not functioning properly - well, there have been reports. Some folk, like Jeff Bellune, have been working closely with some of these issues in the Encore forum, and I would bet, feeding the results of their tests back to someone at Adobe. Sometimes, DL works fine, and sometimes with almost identical Assets (the AV and Audio files), things fail. When they do, most of us fall back on how it used to be done - the "old-fashioned" way, by Exporting from PrPro and Importing to Encore. When done right, that never fails. Both PrPro and Encore are great programs, but the linking between them still seems to need work. If your next Project does not work with DL, just go back to that old-fashioned way, and with the instructions that I gave you, things WILL work.

Now, you mentioned "stumbling through" Encore. I have one more recommendation: Jeff Bellune's wonderful book, The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe EncoreDVD 2.0, Focal Press. Now, before you point out that you do not have Encore 2.0, let me say that 95% (or more) of Jeff's book will apply perfectly to Encore CS3, or CS4. The only thing missing will actually be that DL info - but I do not think it's finished yet - maybe CS5? Because of the version # on Jeff's Book, you might even be able to find it at a discount. In one reading, you'll nearly be a master of Encore. By the second reading, there will be almost nothing that you cannot do with that program. It's really simple, once you get pointed in the right direction, and once you get your head around the DVD-specs, that govern all DVD-Video production. Jeff also unlocks tricks, that you thought only Hollywood could produce, but you can do it all too.

I predict that you will love it. It's not a large book, like some of the "Bibles" for say PrPro, but it is packed with great info. It does not come with a DVD, but the examples are illustrated. After the first reading, I went at it again with those little Post-it index lables and a highlighter. Just great, and useful material. I still keep my copy handy, especially to check my replies in the Encore forum.

Thanks again for your help. I have used Premiere for many years and I am just getting accustomed to the Suite. Your "old fashioned" method worked and I will continue to try to make the suite work. I have ordered the book.

You also might want to go to the Encore forum and do some searching and reading. There have been many discussions on using DL between PrPro and Encore. Some have had problems. A few were just Asset issues, but some seemed to go much deeper. You might get some good ideas in those. Pay special attention to replies by Jeff Bellune and Joe Bowden (Jbowden).

Thanks for the tip on Jeff Bellune’s excellent book, he should revise it for CS4. I feel that the problem with Export>Encore is in PrPro. Projects that I completed last month can be exported. Newly produced projects get the same error message as the project that I contacted the forum about. I have removed an reinstalled both Premiere Pro and Encore without effect. If you have any additional ideas let me know. Thanks for your help.

Going back a bit, is there any difference between the Projects that do Export fine, and the newer ones - anything? Are the Assets the same types, and the Project's settings the same?

Got to be a difference, unless you ended up with two smurfed installations, and I find that highly unlikely. Still, some have reported bad installations on the CS4.1 update, so not out of the realm of possibility.

As for Jeff's book, I agree, and have mentioned it to him on occasion. To date, no activity, but who knows what next quarter will bring. I beleive that he could cover CS4 with just one short chapter, but only he and his publisher would know this. Also, when he wrote the first book, Encore was a stand-alone and also included in the Production Studio suite. It is now only inlcuded with PrPro, so there would be the question of a market. Still, it's such a great book, that I would not be without it, and do not hesitate to recommend it to others.

The problem is in PrPro.I have looked at the older projects that I can Export and the newer ones that I cannot export to Encore. I do not see any difference in the settings. I have set up a new project using short clips and photos and this cannot be exported either. The error message appears

To my knowledge I have not changed anything between the two projects. What do you say to uninstalling CS3 and reinstalling everything?